Soudal - Quick-Step was in the past a team of classics specialists and sprinters. Nowadays, the classics specialists are gone - at least when it comes to the cobblestones - but the team is not only able to sign top climbers, but also keep them happy. At the time being, it seems increasingly likely that Mikel Landa Meana will be taking on a new contract with the Belgian team.
The 36-year old has been in many top teams and for over a decade has been fighting for the top results in many Grand Tours and stage-races. However, unlike many riders who couldn't make the switch in the 2020's, Landa seems to still be continuously improving, and has put in a masterful Tour de France performance last summer which saw him finish on the Top5 - only behind Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and João Almeida.
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Landa has effectively been able to adapt to the new climbing level that we find in pro cycling and has managed to continue achieving the same kind of results that he has in the mid/late 2010's when he was an incredibly popular rider, and frequent stage winner in the Grand Tours. After many years as a team leader, in 2024 he moved to Soudal - Quick-Step where his main purpose was a domestique role for Evenepoel.
But the truth is Landa never found himself much in that position, and with his freedom he finished second behind Pogacar at the Volta a Catalunya last year. At the Tour, Evenepoel barely did not need the support of the Basque rider at all, and both finished with a top results. Landa went on to also finish eighth at the Vuelta a España.
This spring Landa already rode to a seventh place at Tirreno-Adriatico and fourth at the Volta a Catalunya, and is currently preparing for the Giro d'Italia where he will be the leader in the mountains and a very viable contender for podium or even victory in the overall classification. Afterwards, he will race the Tour de France, and seemingly he is happy in the current position he stands in.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
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- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.Davide11-11-2026
- Yeah his ride at World's was unreal. Over 6 W/kg for over an hour and a half...he single handedly destroyed the break.DAS11-11-2026
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